The Birmingham-born stopper said: "I can't wait to get the head down again and get started.

"It's a bit of a strange one for me to be signing for a club just before they play my old team, but I'm really happy to be here and be involved at Cliftonville."

Gray welcomed the new addition to his ranks.

"I'm delighted to get someone of Richard's proven quality on board," he said. "I have said from the first day I came to this club, and have repeated it all summer, that we will never sign players for the sake of it and will only look to bring people in who can improve our squad.

"Having someone of Richard's ability and experience at Cliftonville is a great boost and I'm sure his arrival will help bring out the best in everyone else."